Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office

05/12/2026

Wyoming SHPO staff and local archaeologists will be running hands-on archaeology activities like flintknapping and atlatl throwing at this free event!

05/06/2026

The Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office has just received word from the Society for American Archaeology that our 2025 WY Archaeology Month poster, "Threads through Time," has received the first place award in the 2026 State Archaeology Celebration Poster Contest! The first prize award will be accepted during the Awards Banquet at the 2027 SAA Conference in Indianapolis. Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote!

04/28/2026

In anticipation of Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month (WAAM), happening in September of this year, both the 2026 WAAM poster and Wyoming Archaeology merchandise are now available through the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Each year, the centerpiece of this programming is an annually produced and award-winning poster and associated brochure that are free and available to the public. The 2026 Wyoming Archaeology Month poster celebrates the long and complex relationship between people and horses through Wyoming’s archaeological record as part of our Nation’s Semiquincentennial celebrations. The artwork featured on the poster was specially created for the poster by well-known and award-winning Wyoming native Robert Martinez of Riverton. Dr. William Taylor, of CU Boulder and a noted expert on horses in the archaeological record states, “As we celebrate our nation’s 250-year anniversary in the American West, it’s hard to image a more powerful and enduring symbol of our culture and history than horses.” The poster is available free of charge, and may be picked up at the State Historic Preservation Office or Wyoming State Museum, Barrett Building, 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne, or in Laramie in the Anthropology Building located at 12th and Lewis, Room 312. If you wish to have a poster mailed to you, email [email protected] for details.

In addition to the release of the 2026 WAAM poster and brochure, all new Wyoming Archaeology merchandise is now available for purchase via the WAAM Wear website. Artwork featured on the t-shirts, sun shirts, and hats was created by artist Howard Clayton of Cheyenne and reflects a well-known archaeological discovery in Wyoming’s Green River valley of a young horse intentionally buried. Research conducted at this site dates the horse several decades prior to the arrival of Europeans in Wyoming, suggests horses arrived in Wyoming much earlier than researchers originally thought. All proceeds from WAAM Wear go toward the development of WAAM activities such as the printing of the posters and brochures.

https://wyomingarchaeologygear.square.site/shop/2026-waam-wear/4A4MII4JNBQRGHBSQ6BP2GXC

04/15/2026

Registration is officially open for the Wyoming Cultural Heritage Institute! 🎉

Join us Sept. 17 in Cheyenne for a one-day, hands-on professional development experience designed for museum staff, historic site teams, cultural professionals, and volunteers across Wyoming.

Spots are limited and filling fast! The first 50 registrants attend free.

This inaugural event will bring together professionals from across the state to build skills in preservation and collections care, share ideas, and strengthen connections across Wyoming’s cultural heritage community.

👉 Register now: Bit.ly/WyoCulturalHeritageInstitute-Register

04/15/2026

Voting for the 2025 State Archaeology Poster contest is NOW OPEN!

Show your support for this program and for Wyoming Archaeology by heading to the link below to vote online. Online voting will remain open until Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Voting in person will also take place at the SAA conference in San Francisco from April 23 to 26. You do not need to be a member of the SAA to vote.

https://www.saa.org/Member/SAAMember/Education-and-Outreach/Poster-Contest.aspx?hkey=bd2e82e2-db62-4906-b8bc-1794244ee7d2

04/07/2026

The Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is inviting the public to help shape the future of our state’s cultural heritage. Comments can be made until May 28, 2026. Wyoming residents, stakeholders, and preservation partners are encouraged to review and comment on the draft of the 2027 – 2037 Statewide Historic Preservation Plan.

The public is invited to read and submit comments on the draft plan located on the WY SHPO’s website:
https://wyoshpo.wyo.gov/index.php/programs/planning-historic-contexts/historic-preservation

There are three ways to submit comments to the WY SHPO: via email, Google Form, or by mail. Please send written comments to [email protected] via our Google Form, or by mail to:

Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office
Attn: Gwendolyn Kristy
1000 E University Ave, Dept. 3431
Laramie, WY 82071

If a physical copy of the draft plan is required, please contact Gwendolyn Kristy. All comments must be submitted no later than May 28, 2026.

Every ten years, the SHPO updates this comprehensive plan to identify goals, evaluate past goals, and strategically plan for the future related to preserving Wyoming’s unique cultural, archaeological, architectural, and historical legacy. This iteration of the Statewide Historic Preservation Plan will guide state and local efforts for the next decade, helping to ensure places that define Wyoming’s past remain an important part of its future.

Here is a direct link to a PDF of the Draft Plan: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lwfF09g_O1VkWoCXnLL4tSshfz_P59qh/view

02/13/2026

Check out WyoHistory.org's blog post by SHPO employee, Gwendolyn Kristy!

By Gwendolyn Kristy Most historians, archaeologists, and others will argue that there is an indisputable connection between the past, present, and future. As former Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal recognized in 2004, “Our past is the foundation on which the future is built” (Wolf 2016). Over t...

01/12/2026

The Wyoming SHPO is seeking a full-time Office Support Specialist. Apply at the link below!

Click on "SHOW MORE" below to access additional applicant information and helpful links!  You can now apply online by clicking on the job title you are interested in and clicking on the "Apply" link. If this is the first time you are applying using our online job application, you will need to crea...

11/07/2025

Check it out tonight!

09/18/2025

Thank you to everyone who made the 2025 Wyoming Archaeology Fair a huge success. We had a record number of people in attendance this year, with nearly 1,500 visitors. See everyone next year!

Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site
Wyoming State Museum
Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist
Fort Laramie National Historic Site
EWC Archaeology/Anthropology
The Wyoming Archaeological Society